


VCR Stands for Vaults Carry Recovery

by tiedtogetherwithadagger



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Memories, Claudia Stilinski Feels, Claudia Stilinski Memories, Closure, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hale Family Feels, Hurt Derek, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Stilinski Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 14:09:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11404041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiedtogetherwithadagger/pseuds/tiedtogetherwithadagger
Summary: Derek finds some old home videos in the family vault and wants to give them to Cora for her birthday but can't find a VCR. Enter Stiles.Just a bunch of fluff and some family memories.





	VCR Stands for Vaults Carry Recovery

They were laying on the couch in the middle of a _Criminal Minds_ marathon when Derek finally cracked. Stiles could tell that he’d been trying to say something all night but instead of trying to pull it out of Derek, he only pulled him closer in his arms and settled deeper into the couch. He stayed quiet, placing his head over Derek’s shoulder and breathing in deeply at his neck.

He knew Derek would eventually tell him what’s been on his mind. After being together for over a year, not everything seemed like it needed to be addressed immediately for Stiles anymore. He was content to wait for Derek because he knew how difficult it was for him to open up. And every time the sourwolf did open up, Stiles felt immeasurably privileged and weirdly honored. Derek had chosen _him_ , and kept choosing him.

Now, though, Derek was twisting in Stiles’ lap and turning to face him. He pursed his lips and looked down again before sighing and staring into Stiles’ eyes.

“It’s Cora’s birthday next week,” he said.

This was news to Stiles. While yes, he and Derek had known each other for a few years now and were obviously close – they were living together for Pete’s sake – the topic of Derek’s family was a poisoned pot of worms that Stiles would never push. He’d been slowly learning more about Derek’s childhood and life after the fire. There was no need to rush.

Stiles knew how Derek’s dad and grandma had taught him how to cook since he was old enough to hold a spoon. How Peter had been that cool uncle that took him out of school every once in awhile to go on a roadtrip to any and everywhere. How Laura pushed him to get his GED when they left Beacon Hills and how he started at SUNY when he was only seventeen afterwards. How his favorite color was pink because it was warm without reminding him of fire.

But every new story was never forced. It didn’t exactly feel natural, and it was hard as hell for Derek, but he wanted Stiles to know him. Every part of him.

But things like birthdays and anniversaries only came up when it was too hard for Derek to deal with on his own. Stiles knew this and understood that there were some things of his family that Derek wanted to keep just for himself. Stiles was the same when it came to his own mom. So if Derek was bringing up Cora’s birthday, and acting like this about it, something was wrong.

Stiles swallowed.

“Is it?”

“I, uh, went to our old safe last week. It’s mostly books and pack heirlooms, but I found a box there.”

Derek cleared his throat before opening his mouth again. “It was labeled ‘Family Videos’ in my mom’s handwriting and I didn’t think it would actually have anything in it but… Stiles. There are home videos of my family. They’re there. They exist and I have them.”

He sounded so bewildered, like he couldn’t believe that he deserved to have anything that personal of his family’s. It made Stiles’ heart hurt. Derek deserved the world.

“That’s great, Derek! Are you going to do something with them for Cora’s birthday?”

“Well I was. I wanted to watch them with her. But. They’re VHS tapes,” he said forlornly.

“And?” Stiles couldn’t tell what could be wrong with that.

“I don’t have a VCR, Stiles,” deadpanned Derek.

“Oh.” That could be what’s wrong with that

“Yeah, _oh_.”

Derek turned back around in Stiles’ arms, crossing his arms and honest-to-god _pouting_.

“I think I might have one at my dad’s place.”

“Really?” Derek looked so hopeful. So open. Stiles would do anything for that face.

*

Which is how Stiles finds himself knee deep in Stilinski debris in his old basement the next morning. He’d been looking for that VCR for hours. He was dirty, sweaty, covered in spiderwebs, and surrounded by opened and upturned boxes. This was exactly how Derek found him.

“Stiles?” He looked at where Stiles was currently buried under a pile of wires and cables. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for that VCR. What does it look like I’m doing?” Stiles retorted.

“Trying to find an entrance to Narnia,” said Derek. The eyebrows were in full force. “Can I help?”

Stiles grinned and his eyes softened. “Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks.”

They soon found themselves even deeper into the Stilinski basement. How, exactly, neither had a clue. Derek pulled a large, discolored box from the top of a rickety shelf that had been hidden behind a life-size cutout of Han Solo. The cutout belonged to the Sheriff, actually – where else do you think Stiles got his obsession from?

Stiles glanced up when he heard Derek bring the box down. He had his claw at the ready, about to cut open the box, when Stiles lunged.

“No!” He clutched Derek’s wrists in a tight hold, eyes wide and wild. “Not...that one,” he breathed.

Derek nodded his head, eyes locked on Stiles’. He swallowed and the air became dense with tension.

They went back to their search, the comfortable silence they had had earlier shattered. Stiles kept taking in deep, shaky breaths that made Derek ache to pull him into a hug. Each time Derek looked at him with his eyes furrowed in recognition and probably understanding – Stiles couldn’t be sure, he refused to look at him – Stiles only stared harder at whatever happened to be in front of him at the time.

“That’s my mom’s stuff,” Stiles finally said. He cleared his throat. “We couldn’t move her things for a while afterwards. My dad couldn’t even look at her things. He slept on the couch or at work whenever he could. About a year after, my dad and I went through everything of hers and put it in those boxes.”

Stiles’ voice was frayed and Derek could smell the salt in his tears. Wordlessly, he stepped forward and pulled Stiles in close, tucking his head under his jaw. Derek took deep, slow breaths until Stiles’ breaths matched his own.

“I’m sorry,” Stiles said into Derek’s shoulder.

Derek only pulled back and placed a kiss on his forehead. Then his cheek. And both his eyelids. Which made Stiles smile and huff out a laugh, like it always did.

“You’re ridiculous,” said Stiles.

“I’m yours,” said Derek.

*

After that, it was easier between them. The air was lighter, like there weren’t so many things weighing them both down. They didn’t open the boxes that night. They would eventually, but not then.

Instead Stiles talked.

He told Derek about the time he had wanted a mermaid-themed party for his eighth birthday. Jackson had sneered at Stiles when he heard him and said that Stiles couldn’t be a mermaid because he wasn’t a girl. He cried in his mom’s arms after school and she had looked him straight in the eye, her own glimmering in mischief, and had told him to put his shoes on.

Together, Stiles, his mom, and Scott had sewn and glued their own mermaid costumes with the most glittery, sparkly fabrics they could find from the fabric store.The next day, his mom had dropped them off wearing her mermaid creation. And when she’d walked them to the door, she had made sure to compliment them both for their own. That was one of the best days of Stiles’ life, everyone in class had gaped and fawned and gushed over them instead of ignoring them with their usual derision.

He shared stories of his mom when she was first in the hospital and Stiles had been scared of the place. He had been surrounded by people in mourning, people gray and barely holding on to life. It had been the last place his mom belonged. So his mom had given Stiles face paint and told him to go nuts. Not only had Stiles covered his mom’s face, but he had also painted her hair pastel blues and greens and purples. She had looked like a sea creature by the end of it, but it had made Stiles giggle and brought a soft glow to the too bright hospital room. It hadn’t been so scary after that.

*

It was the Sheriff that found the VCR. When he got home that night to a basement in shambles, Stiles asked if he knew where it was. He snorted before climbing the stairs and showing them where it was planted right under the TV in the living room.

Derek gave Stiles _such_ a look. Oops.

It was worth the eternal embarrassment for the way Derek glowed in the weeks after Cora’s birthday. Needless to say, the gift had been a success.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check me out on [tumblr](http://tiedtogetherwithadagger.tumblr.com/)!


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